Regents Approve Crisler Stadium Renovations Schematic Design

A2.com is reporting that the Regents have approved the schematic design of the Crisler Arena renovations. Highlights:

New seats and a redesigned configuration - including a moved student section - are among schematic design changes approved for the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena, it was decided at the U-M Board of Regents meeting Thursday.

Changes include replacing the seats in the lower bowl with wider and relocated aisles, as well as improved seating to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

The roof will be replaced, the building will receive an entire electrical and technological upgrade, and a new fire suppression system and other safety systems will be part of the renovations.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in the winter of 2012. Funding will be provided from athletic department resources.

Re-seating of the lower bowl will not displace the Maize Rage student section. Martin said “we want the students to be behind the bench.” Instead, though, he said architects might look at moving the benches - and the students - to the other side of the court. But nothing was definite with that.

The same article states the following regarding phase 2:

Future phases could possibly address what would be left in the Arena, including the upper bowl, the concourses, the playing floor and other more cosmetic things.

This has me worried.... where would they move the student section that would be an improvement?

As a Maize Rager for five years, it would be the ultimate slap in the face to have the student section moved from behind the benches to somewhere else after supporting the team through some really dark times.

Hopefully they are looking at expanding the student section.

EDIT:

THIS says that Bill Martin will not move the student section from behind the benches, but may move both the student section and the benches together. Hopefully this stays true. If anyone could find an updated plan, that'd be awesome.

My only question is how they're going to schedule the construction. Obviously the roof will be replaced in the offseason, but are they going to try to do some work during the season, given the winter 2012 completion date?

They're going to replace the roof, overhaul the fire and electrical system, and repalce all the seats in the lower bowl?

At that point you might as well just tear the place down and build a new one to go with the newness of the practice facility. I'm with the Sgt though, I hope more than anything that they give the concourse a facelift. Honestly, I never thought there was anything wrong with the exterior of Crisler, just the inside and all of its concrete crapiness.

I'm also happy to see the university's commitment to keeping our facilities up. Its great to see they're giving love wherever its needed, be it The Big House, Yost, Crisler, of the golf course.

Michigan Stadium was built in 1927. Breslin Center was built in 1989. MSU has nothing that remotely compares to our stadium in terms of history, innovation (it was the first stadium ever to be built north-south) and size.

that any work done at all required replacing the electrical and fire systems, which are probably no longer up to code.

And the real costs in tearing it down and starting over are A: No good place to play that season, and B: The millions you pay to an architect firm to design a big steel and concrete circle, which already exists.